Playing devil's advocate

If it isn't already splashed all over the internet and you haven't already stumbled across it, I just watned to share some recent movements at Strumpette, the PR blog that plays the industry watchdog/ devil's advocate. The managing editor, Amanda Chapel, has recently resigned - posting her resignation letter and then expanding upon the reasoning behind her move.

Her reason? "I lost the faith that the business can even be salvaged...". With this, she is referring to the PR industry as a whole. She continues on with "And I don't think the majority in the business cares if they are grossly disrespected. Excuse me... most pat each other on the back as they whistle on their way to the bank."

Amanda believe that PR today is all about popularity foremost, a practice that creates something from nothing, and that PR professionals today have lost the ability to write, discern and make a case. She makes some very tough points, valid to some extent and definitely well worth a read.

I'd like to draw particular attention to an argument she titles 'Case vs Opinion'. Amanda talks about how the PR business should be about making cases  to the public on behalf of a client, but that professionals these days are incapable of doing just this. The industry today is heavily reliant on having 'conversations', we encourage open and direct dialogue. She believes this heavy focus is because the business has lost the ability to make convincing, meaningful and memorable cases, and that our efforts have become focused on the casual alternative (having conversations) because we are unable to do the formal.

As PR professionals, I highly urge you to read her blog post here. She defends a strong point of view.